Compartmentalizing Brave

Recently something in my personal life required bravery. I noticed when the situation occurred, my word Brave was no where to be found.

As I was reflecting on what I could learn from that situation in order to improve the next time, it dawned on me I had compartmentalized Brave. Brave, when I chose the word, in my mind was related only to the following items: work, coaching, keynote-giving, and any new passion-related collaborations. Brave was not for everyday life.

And then the neon light in my mind went off. Like many of the people I coach, we humans tend to earmark certain skill sets to certain "compartments" of our life. "I'm out-spoken and insightful at work, but not in my personal life," is an example. "I'm bold, daring and curious in my home life, but not with my colleagues."

What's another way to look at this? Could we take down those compartments and honor our skill sets and talents in all domains of our life? Could I be Brave not only in the workplace and in coaching, but also at home with Lil O and Mr. UpCyclist? Could I be Brave with my neighbors? Brave on a hiking trail? Brave at the grocery store?

Of course, I can. I control Brave. And today, those compartmentalized walls are coming down.